Review of the three Donors Choose Applications

The donors choose that was for technology for students with special needs did a great job at explaining specific needs that children in her class needed and how this specific technology would benefit. Without giving away details that would break privacy rules she gave some examples of things the children were behind in for example- not being able to recognize word wall words and makes it clear that she is passionate about these students receiving the education they deserve.I think something that could be done better would be going into detail about how each app could be used in the classroom instead of just listing the names of the apps. 

The second donors choose is clearly written by a teacher who teaches at a school with low resources but passionate educators. She explains her situation and the reasons she would love to make her classroom a place where her children are comfortable and ready to learn. She says "soothing seating arrangements" but I think she could go into more detail explaining what exactly each thing will be used for and could include some research/ quotes on why this would add benefits to the Childs life. She also has dictionaries listed in the supplies needed but does not mention them in the information and I would like to know why they need these supplies.


The next one I looked at comes from a super low income school and they are requesting funding for literacy! I am so excited to see a school with low funds seeking out supplies for literacy development because reading is super important. it is proven that low income children are often lower level readers because it is not focused on as often. the teacher is requesting literacy materials to go along with a gardening unit they are starting. I love that it will allow the children to be creative and story tell. The donors choose is super vague. It only has a few details. I think this teacher should go in and explain her passion behind getting funding for the benefit of her students because people will be more likely to give if they see passion

They all gave a lot of criteria of why they wanted what they did for their classroom and the schools different economic backgrounds. Some were stuff that we not immediate supplies needs and some were just for fun. Most teachers wanted what they did because of what they have learned from their students in the classroom. They were all wanting to get them for the students learning and not so much as a cool thing to have in a classroom that they may use. The teacher wanting sensory supplies was solely for the children with trauma and needing help with coping mechanisms, which I  thought was really cool. Hers was also the most expensive it was around $1000 for what she was wanting. Another teacher was wanting tech for her visual learners so that they could learn in a way that was easier for them. The last was wanting different art supplies because that was what it looked like her children learned best from. 

The one that I liked the most was ‘Looking Snazzy’ because it was for students in the special olympics and I feel like they don’t always get funded. I think their request was reasonable considering how regular sports in schools get new uniforms and good things for their competitions. This teacher did a good job of persuading to get people to help fund her project. I think she could have done more explaining how the uniforms would be useful rather than just saying for competitions. But include how it can make the students feel, etc.
‘All Hands on Tech” was one of the projects that I chose to look at. I think kindergarten classrooms don’t necessarily need iPads for the classroom, rather than just a smart board for all of the students to participate and see what other students do. This teacher didn’t go into a lot of detail about the project, just that it would be used to gain coding knowledge.
‘What if You Had Tools for Writing?’ I understand the point of this project, but I don’t understand how the teacher called the project “What if You Had Tools for Writing?” This project is just engaging them in writing as if they had animal parts rather than human parts (eyes, hands). I don’t see how buying these type of books would help engage the students, the teacher didn’t really go that munch into detail about that. The teacher did state the goal of the class, which I think is good.

I think that all three of the DonorsChoose accounts that I looked at gave very good explanations of why the things that they are asking for are important for their specific classrooms. For example, the flexible seating application explained that the flexible seating will allow her classroom to complete their best work in a comfortable space and that it promotes a fun, comfortable, engaging, and calm classroom environment. For the Chicka Chicka Boom application, she only gave a brief explanation about what the items will be used for. She explained that she wanted materials to help her students leg up on their letters and sounds. I would recommend that she adds why it is important for this grade level to understand these at an early age. Non-education people might not realize how important this foundation is or understand that children learn best through hands-on experiences. For the third application, I like how she explained what the materials will be used for (realistic animals will help students explore science, to extend our living things science study), but I would recommend that she adds why play is so important in early childhood education. A lot of people do not understand the power of play, so providing statistics or more information could strengthen her application. Something that I really liked was that all applications explained a little bit about their classes. This gives donors an insight on what they are donating too. I also really liked how it had the tags on the side of each profile including, "early development," "social & emotional learning," "low income," etc. It makes it easy to browse through what you want to fund!

1. Send in the Sax: 
This teacher told us exactly what she wanted and why she wanted it! It showed me how much she needed overall to buy the saxophone. I also learned that her school is mostly hispanic and African American and also are 100% free and reduced lunch. What I would like to know more about the teacher is how she uses the instruments in the classroom. She does a good job explaining how it'll benefit the students and how it builds up their ability to want to become musicians. Overall, the teacher did well on explaining the situation, but I would like to know more about the classroom itself and what they do with the instruments.

2. Flexible Seating in Kindergarten: 
This teacher explained to us why she wants each specific new object in her classroom and how it'll help her students during the school day. As an early childhood education major, I understand the importance of letting the children have some independence during the day, while being able to get their wiggles out and enjoying themselves in what they do. I like how she introduced her page with how they start every morning on the carpet, greeting each other with smiles and dancing! This gives off a positive vibe towards the donors and allows them to visualize what their money is going towards in this classroom. She gave detail about each object she is requesting and how they will be used in the classroom. One thing is I think she should've included a picture of her classroom with the page to show the donors the classroom and how they can visualize each object in the room. 

3. Color your imagination: 
First off, I chose this page because it had a fun and catchy title to it. When I looked at it, I knew what the teacher was going to need from the donors, but it also caught my attention with how fun the title was. This request is pretty simple. The teacher needs markers, crayons, pencils, and pastels to give to the children in her classroom to allow them to bring their creativity to life. I like how the teacher introduced the page with how her students surprise her everyday with their talent. This gives the donors a chance to understand how much these children love anything to do with art. I think the teacher should've included more pictures of the art work that is done by the students in her classroom. This definitely would have given the donors a chance to see this amazing artwork and understand where their money is going to.  

The project by Mrs. Herbst titled Needed: Flexible Seating tackles an often overlooked problem in American public schools: the constraints of physical activities in school. There is an expectation for students to stay seated and still for the majority of the school day, with only a half hour of playtime. Students should be encouraged to stay active, not punished when they do so. It is a worthwhile cause and I'm glad to see that there is creativity in what teachers are using DonorsChoose for and isn't just a place where teachers ask people to donate for supplies with a vagueness that incurs suspicion. However, I do think that her project page could have used a little more description. Maybe talk more specifically about the researched benefits of flexible seating or her students' situation. I guess this succinctness is what appealed to those who donated and helped her reach her goal, coupled with the very quirky and passionate writing. 

The second project, Cultivating Culture for Kids (great use of alliteration) by Mrs. Deetz is greatly detailed in areas that I think Mrs. Herbst glanced over. To start with, Mrs. Deetz gives us a detailed background on the students, including exactly how many students there are, the school's Title I status, and the unique situation that exists in their school (students being in the same class for three years). This is great, and immediately gives potential donors the information they need to understand the situation and the reasoning for this project's existence and importance. She also ties the project back to the school's mission statement and its emphasis on making connections and community. Again, this project shows a great deal of creativity with the goal being having students create continent boxes where they can learn about the "flags, geography, people, animals, and landmarks" of the different continents. 

Lastly, Hands Around the Globe is a project by Ms. Pipes that is riddled with typos and misspellings. It, however is a worthwhile cause and one that is near and dear to me. She is asking for donations to have geography books and other resources available for her class in order for them to learn about the rest of the world and their cultures. I appreciate this goal, as cultural studies is something that has always fascinated me. Ms. Pipes, in my eyes, makes the same mistake as Mrs. Herbst: there is a clear passion in her writing but not enough detail. With projects like these, you want your potential donors to become donors, and being up front and honest about your project, your students, and your current situation is how to do this most effectively in my opinion. 

I think that all 3 of these applications really showed how much they have thought about these ideas and how much they want to use them to benefit their student and help their learning during the school year. All of the teachers who posted these applications showed they were dedicated to making their time in the classroom interesting, innovative, and encouraging for all of their students. The reader can really tell how much they care about their students and the classroom. 
All of the applications ranged in ideas and what they were asking, and some of them seem more doable or manageable than others. For example, the art project was asking for iPads for all of her students. While this is a great and wonderful idea, it may not be very obtainable for all of the class. The flexible leaders application was asking donations for a new seating plan and new seats, which may seem much more doable and manageable. Even though they range in what they are asking, all 3 of these applications are well written and have their students best interest in their heart as they are asking for donations. 

The first Donors Choose application I chose was from a teacher in Ada, Ok. I chose this teacher because I wanted to critique teachers from my home town. This teacher is asking for an organization cart for her students to organize their personal supplies. I think this teacher did a couple things well. The first thing she did that I believe worked well was describing her students. She mentioned that her students are active students who have the need to have multiple seating arrangements during the day. By doing this, donors have the chance to see how her students would benefit the materials she is asking for her classroom. The next thing that this teacher did well was describe how the materials she is asking for would be helpful in the classroom. I think both of these two things are very crucial to include in a Donors Choose grant. Although she did these two things well, I do think there is one way that she didn't do as well. I believe she can improve on is adding more detail of how it would be beneficial in the room. Besides mentioning the main purpose, it might be helpful to add other ways in would be helpful in the classroom such as eliminating stress on the teacher by teaching independence on the students' end. In regards to the grant itself, I believe this grant is something that is very beneficial and useful in the classroom. As she mentioned in her grant, flexible seating allows students to choose the seat that works best for them. I agree with her that this cart could be helpful with students who are active and need to move around to establish the best learning establishment for each student. 

The second Donors Choose application I chose was from a teacher in Norman, Ok. I chose this teacher because we will be student teaching in Norman and I thought it would be interesting to critique a teacher from Norman. This teacher is asking for art supplies. I thought his grant was interesting because it asked for art supplies which means that this teacher is actively trying to incorporate art into the classroom. I found this was a positive. One thing that this teacher did well was use bolded points to make an emphasis on what she wanted donors to know. In her "my students" section, she included what seemed to be a mission statement in her classroom. She touched on the fact that her classroom is diverse but these supplies help build situations where the students can come together and share learning experiences. Another thing I believe this teacher did well was provide specific examples of how these supplies will be used in the room. For example, this teacher mentioned that the students complete an art project each week. One these projects is there "All About Me" project in which they will use these materials requested. These examples tells donors how these students will specifically use these materials in the classroom. By doing this, I think donors would more willing to donate to the cause because they can see how they will be helping. Overall, I think they did a great job writing this grant. I don't see anything that I would change. In regards to the grant, I think this request for art supplies is something that would be very beneficial to the classroom. After taking art integration, I have learned about the importance of including art in the classroom. Therefore, I find this grant is very necessary and crucial to the classroom. 

The third Donors Choose application chose to critique was another teacher from Norman,Ok. However, this teacher is requesting something that is something that is not specifically essential in the classroom: team jackets for her special olympics team. In addition, this teacher is targeting students in high school where the other two teachers targeted elementary students. I think this teacher did a great job of describing her students. She mentioned the variety of needs her students have and how all of the students are unique in their own way but are more alike than different. These descriptions allow donors to see how they are getting help students who might daily struggles such as nonverbal communication or help with toilet and feeding needs. In addition to describing her students well, I think the teacher also does a great job of describing why the students need these jackets. She mentions that these jackets will boost team spirit while also protecting the students from harsh conditions such as temperature, rain, and snow. I think this description might evoke a emotional urge to donate to this cause. Although she did these two things well, I think there is one thing she could improve on. The thing I think she could improve on would be going more in depth of how these specific jackets will make her students feel like rest of other teams in the school. She might want to mention the uniforms that other teams have and how the lack of jackets might make her students feel inadequate to other teams. By describing this difference, I think donors would be more emotionally inclined to donate to her cause. Overall, I believe this grant is something that isn't necessarily essential in the classroom but is something that will allow her students to feel as a team, boost morale, and make her students not feel different than other teams at the school. 

1: This project seemed fun to me because I loved art in school. I remember in my district we all were able to have clay and make projects such as this. Since these tools I always had available to me are what she is asking for I couldn't help bu be drawn to her project. Art is an amazing outlet for students, especially those who feel that they are behind their peers in the core classes. I think her asking prices and the creative project she is wanting to do is a great idea.
2: When I look up classroom inspiration, especially on pinterest, there are classrooms that have the best set up. All I have ever experienced was the standard metal tables with the chairs attached. Never laptops in the room, flexible seating arrangements, couches, etc. I liked this idea a lot because the classroom sets the tone for learning, students need to be comfortable in the learning environment. I believe this teacher is asking for not necessarily a project, but a great environment for their students to work in. 
3: Again, I love art projects and a pottery wheel is something I think students would be obsessed over. While it is expensive I see the point, it is an amazing opportunity for the students to learn a different way of creating art. I think this is my favorite project out of the three, it not only allows for creativity but also responsibility as the students need to be respectful and responsible of the expensive equipment. 

I chose Ms. Donohue's DonorsChoose because it was the first one that popped up when you choose to find a classroom on the homepage. This must mean that the DonorsChoose people are promoting her classroom because she has gotten several donors to donate to her project. I decided to check it out. Her request is to provide new furniture and supplies for her classroom that aren't falling apart. Her materials are old and many students don't feel encouraged when the environment of the classroom is not inviting. She emphasizes in her project that "The environment we are in has a profound impact on our well-being and ability to learn." One thing I didn't really understand about her request was how this environment would affect these kids to reach their full potential. In all honesty, I think lacking in supplies would help these students find innovative ways to make do with what they have. But I do agree that if I was a student I would want an inviting classroom environment. Perhaps it would give them more motivation to actually learn and WANT to learn. One of the supplies she asked for those was questionable. I don't think she would need "Sensory Chew Necklace Sets" I am not sure how that would be prevalent in the learning environment. I would need more info as to why these would be NEEDED. They could be a choking hazard and not even recommended for babies. I think she did well by explaining what kind of learners she has and who this would effect and why. And I think most of her supplies are prevalent beside the 'necklaces.' I think she could have done a better job of explaining in detail how having a better inviting learning environment affects these students instead of saying helping them reach their full potential. I can't imagine what full potential is and want something more concrete that I can measure.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            I liked Mrs. DeStefano's project because it involved students and families. These backpacks she wants to create would be apart of STEAM learning which includes Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math. I like the aspect of creating these backpacks to take home and work on them with their families. She emphasizes that "Our students enjoy coming to school every day, where they can learn to become critical thinkers, leaders, and collaborative learners in a safe environment." These backpacks would be given to students to take home and create something that would solve a problem in today's world. I think this is innovative and great for critical thinking skills. Every backpack would include performance expectations, procedures, safety notes, extensions, online and local resources, materials for that activity, a student recording sheet, and a feedback form. The teacher did well with explaining what was needed and how it would be used. Her needs and supplies are reasonable for this project and this project would go along with the guidelines of her teaching area: Environmental sciences. However, I would critique that I'm not sure how she will verify family involvement. As much as we would like to think families would be involved in helping their child, it just isn't realistic in our world. But I applaud her for trying. I think I would have liked to also see a specific example of what one of the STEAM projects a student would bring home. That would have been interesting for a donor to be intrigued by if donating.

Ms. Campbell's project is a school garden. She chose this project for her agricultural class, which I had no idea even existed. She wants to do this because she wants her students to have the joy of growing their own food as well as providing food perhaps to their school or community.  She emphasizes that "Proper resources are sometimes not easy to come, but together we can provide hands-on opportunities for learning in the classroom." She says about 90% of the students are on free and reduced lunches so they don't have the proper funds and resources to do this. She gives specifics of what class will participate in this project: 7th and 8th grade Ag classes. She states that the students' GOAL is to "take plants from seed to harvest and be able not only to enjoy the process but enjoy the fruits of their labor. Students will be able to take home fresh vegetables and the classes can donate fresh vegetables to our school and community." I think the teacher does well by stating the GOAL of the project. I like the wording of it too because it's specific. I think this is a great project for her Agriculture class and shows how to farm which is an important aspect of agriculture. I also like that they can expand this project by also providing food for students and/or community. I like the whole community outreach aspects of it. I noticed that this project has no donors yet and maybe the teacher needs to reach out to her community via email/social media/or fellow educators to helps fund or make aware of her project. I think her emphasized statement could have been more detailed. All she said was that proper resources were hard to come by, I would have liked to know what these proper resources are that she is referring to and why these tools are necessary for learning. 

Link 1) The first link is a teacher asking money for flexible seating in her kindergarten classroom. She did a great job of explaining how the different seats will be used in the classroom by talking about how it promotes a calm, inviting, and creative environment. If I were to do this I would have talked about some of the research of how flexible seating helps children learn and have autonomy in the classroom to give the project a more legitimate feel rather than it just promoting creativity. 

Link 2) The second link is for organizational bins for a teachers second grade classroom. I really enjoyed how she went into detail about the need of her students and the importance of teaching organization as a skill and how it can help them learn. I wish she would have gone into greater detail about how she would specifically help teach the kids to keep things organized because I know from experience just throwing things into a bin doesn't make things any more organized. 

Link 3) The third link is for a stem lab in a school that services kindergarten-fifth grade. I really like how the teacher went into detail about how supporting a stem lab supports all kinds of students and learning. I really loved this idea of making the room into an escape room because that brings so much excitement into the room. The only thing I wish she went into detail about was what stem lessons she would be teaching with the locks that she was requesting. I noticed she had all different types of locks, but I she would explain how things would differ from the younger to the older students. 

The first one I reviewed wanted donations to buy more flexible seating in their classroom. I love this idea! I’m a firm believer in creating fun spaces for classrooms. I love that the teacher who posted this stated that she has worked hard to create a warm, collaborative, and engaging classroom environment. I think that this is one of the most important parts of creating your classroom, making sure students feel loved and welcome. I also like how she stated that because of the new technology being integrated in classrooms, desks and chairs are becoming more obsolete. I would definitely fund this project! 
The second one I reviewed is a teacher looking to get funding for a new promethean board. From what I understand, this is an interactive white board. I am particularly passionate about this one because this is in a low income school who doesn’t have the ability to pay for boards like these. I think this is a great investment and students will be happy to participate, once math is done on an interactive White board. I went to an elementary school that was fortunate enough to receive interactive white boards while I was still there and I loved them so i would definitely fund this project. I love how the teacher talked about how hard her students work and how this would improve her ability to reach all of her students interests. 

The third donor choose that I reviewed was requesting donations for the materials needed to teach her students who are in special Ed coding! Being that we have done this all semester long and being able to see how many tools it has equipped me with, I think this would be fantastic for students at a young age to learn. I would also donate to this project because these students are from an area of low socioeconomic status and usually don’t get experiences like these. I think this would be a great investment in preparing students for their future careers at such a young age.